Pipe wrench



Fat-exited @et Z3, i928.

entran rare este GEORGE ELWOOD KNIGHT, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

PIPE WRENCH.

Application filed July 7,

This invention relates to adjustable wrenches in general7 but particularly to a pipe wrench.

The objects of the invention are to provide a pipe wrench which will be quickly adjustable for various sizes of pipes. which will provide for a ratchet effect in either direction of use7 also such a wrench which will provide for screwing or unscrewing pipe ends broken or otherwise which must be gripped from inside their ends.

Other objects ot the invention will appear in the following description:

In the drawings hereto my invention is illustrated in one of its forms. tho it is to be understood that various niodiiications of the elements shown may be made within the spirit of the invention, and any such are intended to be covered in my appended claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side view of my wrench with a portion of the front plate of the stock broken away to reveal one of the sliding ratchet blocks within.

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1.

Described in detail my wrench comprises ahead or stock 1 channelled to slidably receive a shank 2 of an outer jaw 3. The stock is made integral with, or has attached to it two side plates 4 and 4 which form side retainers for the shank 2, and the upper portion of the stock and plates forms the inner aw 5 of the wrench, while the outer ends of both jaws are complementarily rounded and serrated as at 3 and 5 respectively so as to form a pair of gripping members which, when the aws are brought close together, niay be inserted in the open end of a pipe or fitting.

A similar pair of rounded serrated jaw members 3 and 5 are arranged on the jaws 3 and 5 projecting at right angles to the members 3 and 5 and are 'for similar use under varied conditions of work.

This latter pair of jaw members 3 and are preferably detachable on the main jaws being supeorted thereon on bracket-like eX- tensions secured in place by taper pins or the like 6.

The shank 2 of the outer jaw is formed with notches along forward and backward edges as indicated at 7 and 7 and which notches are adapted to be engaged by either of two sliding blocks 8 and 8 formed with teeth to match the notches.

Witi-i beth binaire disengaged from the 1926. Serial No. 120555.

shank the latter and its jaw 3 mav be freely slid in and out to quickly adjust the wrench for any desired spacing of jaws and after which either block may be moved to engage one set of notches after which the engaged block may be forced up and down; upon'moving ay handle 9, carrying the shank with it and thus opening or closing the jaws.

This handle is bifurcated at its end connecting the stock at 9 9 and straddles the plates 4 and 4 terininatinf-y in disks 10 and 10 pivot-ed each at 11 to a rivet or screw eXtending through one of the side plates 4 4 into a thickened internal .guide shoulder 12 tting within channels 13 formed in opposite sides of the shank.

The blocks 8 and S are each held in place by a pin or stud 14e-14r which extends through opposite sides of the stock and is guided by a right angle slot 15 in the plates so that either block may be moved laterally out of engagement with the shank and then downwardly in the slot to be retained out of engagement.

Acting against the outer edge of each block is a flat spring as at 17 tending to force the block toward the shank 2 when lifted in the slot to the laterally extending branch thereof.

Also, a small spiral spring 18 is tensioned from the block down to any anchorage; here shown as to the returned end of spring 17 so as to pull the block down into the vertical arm of the slot when the pin 14 is aligned therewith as well as resiliently pull the shank 2 downward when the block is engaged there with so as to yieldingly hold the wrench jaws against a pipe being operated on.

The disks 10 and 10 of the handle are notched at several points as at 19 around their circumferences so that the handle may be turned at any quarter and either of the pins 14 or 14 entered into any desired notch for making the wrench operative on a pipe.

In Figure 1 pin 14 is shown so engaged with notch in the disk, and when thus engaged the block will be drawn up and down by a pivotal movement of the handle and through its toothed engagement with the shank the block will draw the shank 2 up and down.

It is manifest that with the setting shown in Figure 1 a movement of the handle 9 to the left will draw the jaws 3 and 5 together upon a pipe and a further movement will twist or screw the pipe.

Conversely? if the opposite block 9 only were engaged the action of the wrench would be reversed as a movement of the handle t0 the right would be necessary to close the jaws upon the pipe and a further movement to turn the same.

In the motion. described the pinching' action oij' the Wrench is limited to the amount of slide permitted of the blocks and determined by the upper shoulder Q0 of the stock as Well as by the lateral arm of the slot l5.

The bifurcated ends of lthe handle are offset at 2l so as to permit passage of the handle over either pin 14 oi' 1.4.- in setting the handle at any desired. angle.

At the upper rear edge of the shank 2 is a special notch 22 formed at an angle to cooperate with a sharpened spot 23 on the side of the stock to eit'ect a Wire cutter, While at 9A on the upper jaw is a punch cooperating- With a hole 25 in the lower jaw for punching` a hole in sheet metal or the like.

IVith either sliding` block 8 and 8 engaged as described a pivotal rocking of the handle 9 will etlect a positive in and out motion ot the outer jaw, thus giving a right or left handed ratchet-like action, While the small springs 18 Will insure the Wrench resiliently hugging the pipe if the handle is left idle.

This positive motion of the wrench jaws in either direction is what makes the use of the serrated nose like portions 2L-3 and 5-5 effect-ive on inside pipe turning-in fact they could not function Without this provision.

I claim 1. A Wrench of the character described comprising` a body provided with a projectingl jaw, an outer aw formed With a shank, slidably supported in said body, teeth along opposite sides of said shank, a handle Divoted to said body, sliding blocks 'equipped With teeth to engage the teeth in said shank and also adapted to engage a portion of said handle and selective means for engaging and disengaping said blocks with the shank and said handle.

2. A wrench of the character described comprising a body provided With a projecting* jaw, an outer jaw formed with a shank slidably supported in said body, teeth along,` the edges of said shank, a handle pivoted to said body, said handle having a circular disk around said pivot which disk is suitably notched around the periphery, a sliding block adapted to engage said teeth and a notch in said disk, said handle being adapted for setting at various points of the circle in its pivoted mounting,` to said body in the engage-- nient with said block.

GEORGE ELIVOOD KNIGHT. 

